Knitting-machine



No. 007,002. i Patented July 5, 1898.

R. w. s00TT.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 20, 1897.)

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R. W. SCOTT.

KNITTING MACHINE. (A lcntiou filed Dee. 20, 1897. (No Model.) pp 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 007,002. Patented July 5, |800. 0. w. scoTfrvl- KNITTING MACHINE.

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R. W. SCT.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Appliaton filed Dec. 20, 1897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

y 711/5 l'ornfys No. 607,002. R. w. SCUTT- Patented July 57 |898.

KNITTING MACHINE. (Appllcatxou Illed Dec 20, 1897) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5` (No Model.)

Nrrn STATES ROBERT IV. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I'IALF TO LOUIS N. D. VILLIAMS, OF ASHBOURNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNlTTlNG-VIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 607,002, dated July 5, 1898. Application filed December 20, 1897. Serial No. 662,611. (No model.)

To aZZ who/it t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT WV. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residingin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Knitting-Machines,of which the following is a specilication.

Myinvention consists of a machine for the production of a shaped or fashioned knitted web in which the widening-wales are introduced without the necessity of transferring stitches from needle to needle and without the formation of eyelet-holes or gaps in the knitted Web at the points where the Widening-Wales are begun.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an exaggerated diagram of a knitted web capable of being produced upon the machine. Figs. 2, 3, Ll, and 5 are diagrams illustrating the manipulation of the needles employed in knitting said web. Fig. 6 is a view of a modiiied form of the web. Figs. 7 to 13, inclusive, are diagrams illustrating the manipulation of the needles resorted to in producing said modified form of web. Fig. let is a Vertical sectional view of the machine for knitting the web shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 15 is a plan view of said machine with parts broken away to show those beneath, and Figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19 are views of cam structures formin'gpart of the machine.

I will first describe the knitted webs illustrated in Figs. 1 and G and the methods of producing the same.

In Fig. 1 I have shown thirteen successive courses of a web into which six widening- Wales have been introduced, three on each side of .the central line Thus it will be seen that in the first, second, third, and fourth courses of the web each' side of the latter is composed of six wales, lettered, respectively, Cd a2 and b', b2, b3, and b4, an additional Wale a3 being introduced in the fifth course, a second additional Wale albeing introduced in the eighth course, and a third additional wale a5 being introduced in the eleventh course. The opposite portions of the web in the first, second, third, and fourth courses are separated by floating threads a, and the length of these ioating threads is gradually diminished as the opposite portions of the webare widened by the introduction of the 'additional wales vnary rib-knitting machine.

until finally the two portions of the web join and form a continuous fabric. The opposite portions of the narrow Weband of the web in which the Widening has been effected can then be unit-ed by joining the wales b4 of the opposite Webs by means of an ordinary loopingmachine, or by sewing,or in any other available manner, the floating threads a being then removed.

It will be observed that the four wales b', b2, b3, and b4 are continuous, so as to form a band of uniform width along the edge of each lwidened portion of the web, and it will be further observed that although the widening-wales a3, a4, and ai are introduced between the wales b and b2 in the respective courses 5, 8, andll they do not retain this position,but cross said Wale b and are interlooped with the fifth wale in the succeeding 7o course, so that the eyelet-hole or gap in the knitted web which would otherwise be produced is closed and the appearance of the widened web is not marred by such eyletholes.

The manner of producing the above-described knitted web will be understood on reference to Figs. 2 to 5, in which the opposite sets of needles A, A2, A3, A4, and A5 represent vertical needles of a circular-knitting 8o machine, the complete circle being broken by a gap representing eight needles, in place of which there are two sets of horizontal needles represented at B', B2, B3, and B4, these horizontal needles being disposed so as to draw their stitches to the ysame face of the fabric as the vertical needles and being in this respect the reverse of the needles of the ordi- As shown in Fig. 2, each needle B is be-go tween the needles A2 and A3, the needle B2 is between the needles Aga-nd A4, the needle B between the needles A4 and A5, and the needle B4 alongside of the needle A5, and in knitting the narrow web the needles A3, A4, and A5 of each set are out of action, as shown in Fig. 2, the wales a a2 being formed upon the needles A A2 and the Wales'b,b2, b3, and b4 upon the needles B., B2, B3,and B11, the thread being carried across the gap between the neeroo dles BA1 as the thread-guide rotates, so as to form the iioating threadsa.

In knitting course 5 the needles A3 are raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and before knitting course 6 the sets of needles B', B3, B3, and B4 are moved toward each other to the extent of one needle, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to Widen each portion of the fabric to the extent of one Wale and cross the iva-les b' and a3. Then the next widening-course Sis reached, the needles A4 are brought into operative position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and before knitting course 9 the sets vof needles B', B3, B3, and BAl are again moved toward each other to the extent of one needle, as shown in Fig. a, so as to effect the crossing of the Wales b' and CL4, and in knitting course ll the needles A5 are brought into action, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the sets of needles B', B3, B3, and B4 being moved toward each other to the extent of one needle before knitting course l2, in order to cross the Wales h' and a, Both sets of needles A' A3, die., are new in action, and the gap between them is filled by the sets of needles B', B3, B3, and B4, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to produce a continuous web of the desired Width. The method of introducing and crossing the widening-Wales can be employed in a web in which the bordering-band is not of uniform Width, or, in other words, in which the Widening-Wales are not always introduced at the same distance from the edge of the web in the widened portions. A web of this character is shown in Fig. G, on reference to Which it will be observed that the firstintroduced Wale b4 is the fourth, the secondintroduced Wale b5 is the fifth, and the third-introduced Wale b is the sixth, from the edge. In this ease the Widening-Wales are formed upon needles of the sets B', B3, B3, B4, B5, and BG. iThus the Wales a' a3 a3 b3 h2 ZJ of courses 1,2, 3, and 4 are formed upon the needles A', A3, A3, B3, B3, and B', disposed as shown in Fig. 7. In knitting course 5 the needles BL are introduced as shown in Fig. S, and before knit ting course 6 the sets of needles B', B3, B3, and B4 are shifted toward each other to the extent of one needle, as shoivn in Fig. 9. In knitting course S the needles B5 are intro duced as shown in Fig. l0, and before knitting course 9 the sets of needles B', B3, B3, B4, and B5 are again shifted toward each other to the extent of one needle, as shown in Fig. ll, and in like manner needles BG are introduced as shown in Fig. l2 before knitting course l1, and the sets of needles B', B3, B3, B4, B5, and B( are shifted to the position shown in Fig. 13 before knitting course 12.

The machine for carrying out the method of knitting above described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5 is shown in Figs. lll, l5, 1G, and I7, on reference to which it Will be observed that D represents a vertical needle-cylinder which is suitably grooved for the reception of the A needles, F a rotary cam-cylinder, and G G a pair of segments mounted upona ring cl, secured to the needlecylinder I), said segments being adjustable from and toward each other and having end portions suitably grooved for the reception of the B needles. Above the segments G and mounted so as to be rotated thereon by an arm F' of the cameylinder F is a camrin g Il, which has camssueh, for instance, as shown in Fig. lf3-for acting upon the B needles carried by said segments, so as to advance and retract said needles, the cam-cylinder F having the usual cams-such, forinstanee, as shown in Fig. 17- for advancing and retracting the A needles carried by the needle-cylinder D. The bits of the needles upon which the Widening-Wales are to Abe produced pass behind the knittingcams of the cam-cylinder F, as shown in Fig. 14, so that said needles Willnot be operated in order to knit. By raising either of these needles, however, so that its bit is brought into range of the knitting-eams of the cambox, the needleis thrown into action and the knitting proceeds upon the same as upon the other needles. A shaft K, mounted in suitable bearin gs upon the ring d, has cam-Wheels fm, Which act upon toothed wheels m', carried by vertical shafts n., which have spur- Wheels s, engaging with racks s' upon the segments G, any suitable provision being made for operating the shaft K by intermittent movements of partial rotation. Normallythat is to say, during the knitting of the narroWWeb--the segments G occupy the position shown in Fig. 14, and the Widening-needles at each end of the cylinder set are depressed so as to be out of action.

lVhen it is desired to begin the widening' operation, intermittent movements of partial rotation are imparted to the shaft K, and just before the action of the eani-ivheel m effects the first movement of the segments Gtoward each other the first pair of inoperative nee dles of the cylinder set are moved to operative position either by hand or by any suitable automatic mechanism, the lateral shifting of the segments G beingleffected after the knitting of the course in which these needles draw stitches, thus shifting the segment-needles, so as to cross the Wales.

The movements of the shaft K are so timed that the desired number of courses will be knitted before the eamfwheel m again acts upon the Wheel m', and just prior to such action the next pair of needles of the cylin der are lifted into action and have stitches formed upon them, the segments G being then again moved toward each other to the extent of one needle, so as to cross the wales, and these operations being repeated until the de sired number of wideningcourses have been knitted.

After the desired width of widened fabric has been knitted and it is desired to restore the segments G to the position shown in Fig. 14 the stitches should be cast off of the Widening-needles of the cylinder D, an operation which can be readily effected by throwing into action a eam--such, for instance, as that shown in Fig. IS-said cam being located on IOO IIO

the cam-cylinder F at a point remote from the thread-guide and being constructed so as to act only on supplemen tary bits t" of said widening-needles,thelatter being thereby advanced and retracted in order to cast their stitches without catching any new thread, the retraction of the needles being to the lowermost or inoperative position, so that they will remain out of action until the widening operation has cam-ring H should be so constructed-as shown, for instance, in Fig. lQ-that the needles of the segments G can be thrown into or out of action, all of the needles of the cylinder set being active needles.

Although I have described my invention as applied to a circular-knittin g machine having a rotating thread-guide, it will be evident that it may be applied to circular machines in which the thread-guide has a back-and-forth motion, so as to form selvages on the end needles of the set of needles carried by the cylinder, or it may be applied to straight machines having reciprocating threadguides. Hence in some of the claims I have used the term main needle-carrier7 to indicate that element of the machine which in the drawings is represented by the cylinderD and the term supplementary needle-carrier to indicate that element of the machine which is represented by the segments G.

It will be' understood that the number of needles carried by the segments G may be varied in accordance with the desired number of wales in the band which borders the widened portion of the web, and in like manner the number of widening-needles of the cylinder may be varied to accord with the desired numberof widening-courses to be introduced into the web.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of the main needle-carrier, with a supplementary needle-carrier having needles which draw stitches to the same face of the fabric as those of the main needlecarrier, means for actuating the needles, provision for permitting movement of certain of the needles of one of said carriers into and out of operative position, and provision for laterally moving the supplementary needle-carrier.

2. The combination of the main needle-carrier having needles some of which are movable into and ont of operative position, a supplementary needle carrier having needles which draw stitches to the same face of the fabric as those of the main needle-carrier, means for actuating the needles,and provision for laterally moving said supplementary ncedle-cariieiwliereby its needles will maintain their proper lateral relation to the operative needles of the main needle-carrier.

The combination in a knitting-machine, of a needle-cylinder, a needle-carrying segment mounted so as to move part Way around said cylinder, provision for moving needles of one of said needle-carrying elements into and out of operative position, and provision for laterally moving the needle-carrying segment in respect to the cylinder. 1

4. The combination in a knitting-machine, ot a needle-cylinder having needles some of Which are movable into and out of operative position, a needle-carrying segment mounted so as to be movable part Way around said cylinder, and provision for moving said needlecarrying segment whereby its needles will always preserve the proper lateral relation to vthe acting needles of the cylinder.

5. rlhe combination in a knitting-machine, of a needle-cylinder a pair of needle-carrying segments mounted so as to be adjustable from and toward each other around said cylinder, provision for moving needles of one of said needle-carrying elements into and out of operative position, and provision for moving said needle-carrying segments from and toward each other.

6. The combination in a knitting-machine, of a needle-cylinder having needles some of which are movable into and out of operative position, a pair ot needle-carrying segments mounted so as to be movable from and toward each other around said cylinder,and provision for moving said segments from and towardv each other.

7. The combination in a knitting-machine, of a main needle-carrier, a supplementary needle-carrier, provision Jfor permitting movement of needles of one of said carriers into and out of operative position, provision for laterally moving the supplementary needlecarrier, and a cam whereby certain of the needles of one of said carriers may be proj ected and retracted so as to cast their stitches.

8. The combination in a knitting-machine, of a main needle-carrier having needles some of which are movable into and out of operative position, a supplementary needle-carrier, provision for laterally moving the same in respect to the main needle-carrier, and a cam whereby certain oli' the needles of said main carrier can be operated so as to cast their stitches Without affecting the stitches upon the remaining needles.

9. The combination in a knitting-machine, of a needle-cylinder carrying an interrupted series of needles, segments carrying needles adapted to till the space between the needles of the cylinder set, certain of the needles being capable of being` moved into and out of operative position, and provision for laterally IOO IIO

moving the segments in respect to the needles segments so as to cause them to approach or 1o 0f the cylinder. recede from each other.

l0. The combination inaknitting-nmchine, In testimony whereof I have signed my of a needle-cylinder carrying an interrupted name to this specification in the presence of 5 Series of needles, certain needles at each end two subscribing witnesses.

of the Set beingn capable of being moved into ROBERT V. SCOTT. and ont of operative position, segments cztr- Vitnesses: rying needles which Cooperate with those of FRANK F. BECHTOLD,

the cylinder, and provision for racking said I JOS. H. KLEIN. 

